System and method employing a thermocouple junction for monitoring of physiological parameters

• US 8,790,256 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frederick J. Buja
• Original Assignee: Frederick J. Buja
• Inventors: Buja, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stout, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/838,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,541 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 600/549
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02108 from analysis of pulse wave characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0878 using temperature sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/02 for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/02 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for enabling the acquisition of physiological parameters of a mammal or other specimen using thermo-mechanical responses (e.g., temperature, pressure and alternatively acceleration, pulse, position). In accordance with one example embodiment, a monitoring device for wired and/or wireless sensors is used to acquire a series of sensor signals that are attached to achieve the physiological measurements of a mammal vital signs is provided. The device includes a Temperature-Pressure (T-P) sensor configured to attach to respiration, vascular pressure and audio points of the mammal in a manner suitable for obtaining the acquired individual sensor electrical signal. The sensor system is configured to attach to alternative locations of the specimen in a manner suitable for obtaining electrical signals in communication with a signal receiver and transmitter. Physiological parameters, such as those associated with vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration, etc.), can be obtained using the monitoring device and associated sensors.

Claims

1. A method for sensing physiological parameters of a specimen, comprising:

providing a thermo-mechanical sensor, said thermo-mechanical sensor consisting of two dissimilar metal wires, said wires having ends terminated by welding to produce a generally-spherical, micro-bead junction thereat wherein the entire micro-bead junction is available for direct exposure to physiological processes, and where said micro-bead junction is produced such that said thermo-mechanical sensor senses both thermal stimuli and pressure exerted on the micro-bead junction, thereby producing a signal including a component of the signal in response to a change in pressure applied to said micro-bead junction as one of said physiological parameters;

exposing the bead-shaped junction to the physiological processes, whereby the junction produces the signal in response to the physiological parameters;

receiving the signal;

converting the signal to data representing at least two physiological parameters; and

at least temporarily, storing data representing the at least two physiological parameters in memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters include specimen temperature, and where said circuitry stores data over a period of time to sense changes in temperature to thereby represent a physiological process.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said micro-bead junction is completely and directly exposed and is placed in proximity to a specimen'"'"'s respiratory orifice to sense respiration over time, and where a respiration rate is determined and output.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said micro-bead junction is placed in proximity to an artery of a specimen to sense changes in the pressure of the artery, and where a heart rate is determined and output as a function of the changes in the pressure of the artery.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the thermo-mechanical sensors, arranged in at least two parallel arrays, are placed on skin of the specimen in proximity to an artery of the specimen and where a blood flow rate through the artery is determined as a function of the time for propagation of a sensed pulse between arrays, and the blood flow rate is output.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein a remote system located at a central location, communicating with said memory, periodically receives the data representing the at least two physiological parameters and processes the data for display.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said physiological parameters is respiration, and where data is collected and stored over a period of time to sense a respiration rate and to thereby represent a physiological process.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters include temperature and rate of respiration.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is exposed to a first physiological parameter and at least one other sensor is exposed to a second physiological parameter.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a plurality of the thermo-mechanical sensors monitor respiration from multiple respiratory orifices.

21. The method according to claim 20, further including signaling to indicate whether the specimen is respirating, and if so signaling each respiration, or otherwise signaling that the specimen has expired.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal in response of the micro-bead junction to the physiological processes is a combination of the temperature and pressure fluctuation acting as work energy on an EMF junction in the micro-bead.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal in response to the physiological parameters includes a response to strain applied to the micro-bead by a change in pressure.

24. The method according to claim 1 further including calibrating the thermo-mechanical sensor to at least one reference point.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said at least one reference point includes at least a temperature reference point adjusted for a known pressure.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said at least one reference point includes an ice point (32°

F.) at an atmospheric pressure of about 1 Bar (14.7psi).

27. The method according to claim 26, further including calibrating the thermo-mechanical sensor to at least a second reference point, wherein said second reference point further includes a boiling point (212°

F.) at an atmospheric pressure of about 1 Bar (14.7psi).

3. The method according to clam 2, wherein temperature is sensed as a thermo-mechanical response at a plurality of sites on the specimen.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said thermo-mechanical response includes a response to change in the pressure of a gas, liquid, or solid.

5. The method according to claim 3, further including forming said micro-bead as a contact region between terminal ends of the two dissimilar metal wires.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said dissimilar metal wires has a generally round cross-section.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the dissimilar metal wires are laser welded using a low-power laser to produce a contact region of minimum size with a surrounding bead.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said dissimilar metal wires have a diameter of less than about 0.006 inches.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of said metal wires is no larger than about 0.001 inches.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said contact region is less than about 0.000001 square inches.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said physiological parameters is blood pressure, and where data is stored over a period of time to sense changes in blood pressure and to thereby represent a physiological process.

16. The method according to claim 3, further including periodically sampling the data to process blood pressure and pulse data for display.

28. A method for sensing at least two physiological parameters of a specimen, comprising:

providing a thermo-mechanical sensor consisting of two dissimilar metal wires, said wires having ends terminated by welding to produce a generally- spherical, micro-bead junction suitable for exposure to physiological processes, where said micro-bead junction is produced such that said thermo-mechanical sensor senses both thermal stimuli and pressure exerted on the micro-bead junction, thereby producing a signal including a component of the signal in response to a change in pressure applied to said micro-bead junction as one of said physiological parameters;

calibrating the micro-bead junction of the thermo-mechanical sensor to at least one reference point, said reference point having a known temperature and known pressure;

simultaneously exposing the bead-shaped junction to the at least two physiological processes, whereby the junction produces the signal in response to the at least two physiological parameters;

receiving the signal;

converting the signal to data representing the at least two physiological parameters, wherein at least a first physiological parameter is represented by a temperature response in the signal and at least a second physiological parameter is represented by a pressure response in the signal resulting from the second physiological parameter causing a compression of the generally-spherical, micro-bead junction and where the temperature and pressure responses are relative to at least said reference point; and

at least temporarily, storing data representing the signal resulting from the at least two physiological parameters in memory.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the signal produced by the junction is a combination of the temperature and pressure fluctuation acting as work energy on an EMF junction in the micro-bead.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the signal produced by the junction includes a response to strain applied to the micro-bead by a change in pressure.